


Sleepy

by anayalee



Series: Safe Space [1]
Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, it's the moomins
Genre: M/M, Moomin - Freeform, Snusmumriken | Snufkin Has a Tail, and also a cat, him tired, his hair is a mess and yes it is long, snufkin has paws, snufkin is stinky, snufkin purrs, you'll find out why
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-06 06:29:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19057096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anayalee/pseuds/anayalee
Summary: Snufkin is tired and unable to function, but Moomin will always be his safe space.





	Sleepy

Snufkin was tired.

So, very tired.

His normally peppy gait had devolved into a trudge, his shoulders slumped and weary. Though he held his harmonica in his paw, whenever he tried to play, all that would emerge was a weak toot. It seemed as if there would be no merry spring tune this year.

He lifted his head to look in front of him, instead of at the ground. Trees cluttered his vision, but past them, he could see the bright green grass of Moominvalley.

Dully, he felt a pang of happiness resonate in his chest. Once again, he looked at his mouth organ, hoping for a surge of energy, of power, of something so that he could announce his return as he usually did; but alas, he couldn’t.

_Come on now, Snufkin._ He thought. _It can’t be more than another fifty paces. Only fifty paces until you’re back in Moominvalley, until you’re back with…_

His thoughts trailed off as he felt his face heat up, and he adjusted his pack and started walking once more. He had waited the entirely too long winter to see Moomin again, and it seemed as if he couldn’t even return to him correctly--he was two days late. Though he wanted to be back on time, he had been...busy...and it had delayed their reunion.

He couldn’t help but imagine how Moomin would look. Would he still have his winter coat? Snufkin was sure he was taller than him now; he grew almost every winter and last time they had been the same height. His big blue eyes looking at him… sometimes it felt as if they were reading his soul.

Suddenly, he stumbled, his green dress getting caught on the branch of a tree. He glared at it in annoyance. He was but one step from setting foot in Moominvalley again, from seeing his sweet Moomintroll. He yanked away from it, though his dress now sported a new gash. “Bah!” He grumbled, stomping into the valley. “What an absolutely lovely start to spring.”

He carefully maneuvered through the tall grass, increasingly aware of how low his eyelids were getting. Pausing, he knelt beside the river. He cupped his paws in the clear water, suppressing the hiss that formed in his throat, and splashed it onto his face. It didn’t wake him up. _Great. Now I’m tired_ and  _wet_.

In his watery reflection, he took off his hat, carefully fixing his too-long strands. He gritted his teeth in embarrassment at his appearance. _Would it truly have killed me to cut my hair once? Or take a bath?_ He groaned and sat back on his bottom. He couldn’t let Moomin see him like this. He looked haggard, and weary, and wholly unpresentable. He didn’t want Moomin to think--

“SNUFKIN!” A voice behind him made him turn around, just to see the troll in question barreling down the hill. For a moment, all of the thoughts disappeared from his mind. Moomin had grown taller than him, as he predicted, and his hair was longer than usual. He couldn’t keep the smile off of his face, even as he grew dizzy with exhaustion, and allowed Moomin to wrap him in a hug. “Snufkin, am I glad to see you! I can’t wait to hear of all your splendid adventures! How was your winter? Did you meet new people? Explore new places? Oh, how I wish I could…”

Though the mumrik in question was just as ecstatic to be back with Moomintroll as he was to see him, he couldn’t help but notice just how warm he was. And soft. And the steady thumping of his heart was more soothing than a lullaby…

Against his will, his eyelids slipped shut, and Moomin’s voice faded into a distant, comfortable hum. He pressed his head closer to that heat, to the warmth radiating from beneath the fur.

And he drifted off.

_“Moomin, I… have something to tell you.” He was on top of him, stomach to stomach, mouth curved up in a smile. His tail swayed above them and a purr erupted from his chest. The anxiety that he should have felt in the pit of his stomach was somehow not there, instead replaced by pure delight. The troll’s blue eyes were warm and Snufkin couldn’t help but to feel at peace when he looked into them._

_“What is it, darling?” He blushed and pressed his cheek into the soft fur below him._

_“Moomin, I lo--”_

“Snufkin? Are you awake?” He hummed dismissively and burrowed deeper into his pillow. But, somehow, his pillow was moving. It lifted up and down quickly, laughter coming from inside. “I truly do want to let you sleep--you look so cute--but Mamma is putting on a dinner in your honor and everyone is waiting for you.” Snufkin snuffled. Rolled over.

And realized--his head was not cushioned on a pillow.

It was cushioned on Moomintroll.

Bolting upright, he scooted back from him. They were laying where Snufkin had collapsed earlier, the moomin having laid back on the grass with his head on his chest. He smiled at him kindly as the mumrik’s face seemingly spontaneously combusted.

“M-Moomin,” he started, embarrassment making him reach to cover his face with his hat; but it wasn’t there. “I-I’m sorry. I’ve been so very tired and I...I’m very glad to see you, you must understand, I was just…” Moomin leaned forward and placed a large paw on his shoulder.

“Of course, Snufkin.” He said, voice rolling over him like hot chocolate. “You’re still tired, aren’t you? I can tell.”

He was. It seemed as if months of far too little sleep could not be erased with a few hours of rest. Usually, he got a sufficient amount of sleep over the winter, but this time, things were different. His explorations were different. “Moomintroll, I’m...sorry for falling asleep on you.” He smiled, even though the tips of his ears were still hot. “I’m happy to see you again.” Moomin smiled back and stood, helping him to his feet.

“Let’s get your hat back on and then meet with the others. They’re all so excited to hear about your adventures.”

Snufkin shifted. He had never liked group settings, but a group where everyone was focused on him? And he was forced to speak? It sounded like hell on earth.

But Moomin was looking at him with such hopeful eyes, and he deserved it after falling asleep on him like an idiot… “Yes--yes alright.” He said, leaning over to scoop his hat up from beside the river. Carefully, he ran a paw through his hair and did his best to tame it. He adjusted the tall hat on his head and turned back to Moomin, smiling with a confidence that he didn’t feel. “Well, Moomin? We ought to be going.”

As he followed him up the hill to the Moominhouse, he couldn’t help but remember what Moomin had said. _“I truly do want to let you sleep--you look so cute--but Mamma…”_

His face warmed, and before he could stop it, a purr appeared from his chest. Quickly, he stomped it down before it grew too loud, but he could have sworn that he saw Moomintroll’s tail move a little more quickly.

**Author's Note:**

> happy pride month everyone! 
> 
> i hope you liked this little stupid piece i put together. i was inspired to write snufmin by @methdeatal who has an AMAZING fic called Red Thicket on archive, please go check it out and comment that i sent you
> 
> anyways i'm thinking of making this a series, if you think that's stupid please comment if you like that please comment
> 
> just
> 
> please comment
> 
> i need validation i haven't written in like a month
> 
> bye bye now!


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